Last week, I spied a copy of the new Great Schools school finder which rates all the area public, charter and private schools to help parents make informed choices.

The schools get a number rating, from 1 to 10, based on test scores, school climate and improvement. The rankings are also online.

Despite keeping an eye out, I haven't yet found a copy of my own so that I can really sink my teeth into the ratings. But today, a reader and concerned Milwaukee parent contacted me to share a little number crunching achieved with the new school finder.

The results may surprise you.

His analysis showed that of the K-8 and K-5 schools earning a 5 or better on the overall rating:

32 are in MPS

9 are private schools

9 are chartered through MPS

6 are chartered through UWM or the City of Milwaukee

Three of those MPS schools scored 8 or above and one private school and one independent charter got 9s.

Among high schools scoring 4 or above:

5 are in MPS (all offering moderate to intensive special education services)

4 are private (three of the schools offer no special education services, the fourth offers basic services)

1 is an independent charter that offers only basic special ed services

Talkbacks

Facebook comments

Disclaimer: Please note that Facebook comments are posted through Facebook and cannot be approved, edited or declined by OnMilwaukee.com. The opinions expressed in Facebook comments do not necessarily reflect those of OnMilwaukee.com or its staff.

Recent Articles & Blogs by Bobby Tanzilo

On Thursday night, 86 percent of the membership in attendance at the Italian Community Center voted to sell a 1.8-acre parcel of the center's parking lots in the Third Ward, adjacent to Summerfest, to the Milwaukee Ballet for $2.4 million.

Let me just say up front that I love tips from readers and friends. Tips like this one I got last week: "Knowing you, you already know about this. In case you don't: There is a helicopter in the floor of the old A.O. Smith plant." Here's the story.

As I enter the former warehouse at 2461 W. Center St., I stop to envision the mid-December day in 1927 when Martin Grueschow walked into his completed Eschweiler & Eschweiler-designed warehouse for the first time. Now, someone else has high hopes for the building.

There was a time when Milwaukee had venues that hosted jazz gigs all the time. One of them, The Jazz Gallery, is catalogued in a new book by the club's owner Chuck LaPaglia. Get a peek at this great bit of Milwaukee music history at an event Friday, Dec. 2.

The popularity of Facebook groups like "Old Milwaukee" and OnMilwaukee's own urban spelunking series shows that Milwaukeeans have a passion for their city and its history. Indulge that passion with a gift rooted in our collective story. Here are a few ideas.

Thanks to the generosity of an anonymous donor, the beautiful Victorian Gothic Judge Jason Downer Mansion, 1201 N. Prospect Ave., is now something of a temple to art history, serving as the headquarters of the Milwaukee Art Museum's library. We go inside for a peek.

The MPS Foundation gets a public reboot today when the foundation - which since 1998 has raised funds, beyond taxes, from the community in support of Milwaukee Public Schools - hosts its annual meeting at the Riverside Theater Downtown from 4:30 to 7 p.m.

As I prepare to pack up my stuff and head out to spend Thanksgiving with my family, I'd like to take a moment to express my gratitude for the folks who work hard every day to educate Milwaukee's children, and give a special shout out to City Year MKE.

About Bobby Tanzilo

Brooklyn kid, Milwaukee adult. Writing about music in Milwaukee since 1986, lately Bobby's added a lot of words about Milwaukee history, food, wine, public education, architecture and other subjects, too.